All Content

The Tour de Nez, a five-stage race that bills itself as "the Coolest Race in America," got underway Wednesday with a criterium at a Reno, Nevada, casino. The Bissell team gave Michigan's Steven Howard a perfect lead out, setting him up for a bike-length win ahead of Riccardo Escuela (Successful Living) and Eric Wohlberg (Symmetrics). [nid:77952]

Dear Readers,

While High Road Sports boss Bob Stapleton was excited earlier this week to announce that Columbia Sportswear has signed on as the new title sponsor of his UCI ProTour team, the California team manager also expressed concern over the political environment in which the top international teams are competing. “The power struggles within the sport are reaching a zenith right now,” Stapleton said on a conference call. “I originally thought that you would see a new structure emerge even as early as this summer.

Felt Bicycles launched a new aerodynamic road frame under the legs of Garmin-Chipotle rider Martijn Maaskant last week. Maaskant rode the bike to a seventh-place finish in the 210k one-day Dutch Food Classic on Wednesday. Gerolsteiner's Robert Forster won the race. The new frame, called the AR, was intended to combine the aerodynamics of Felt's time trial and track bikes with the road manners of its road bikes.

The 2008 Fool's Gold Mountain Bike Races & Festival put on by 55nine Performance is teaming with the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association (SORBA) to create a one-of-a-kind festival in the Southeastern US. Both 55nine Performance and IMBA-SORBA are working together to support improvements of the existing trail system in the Bull Mountain area of Dahlonega, Georgia, as well as to support development of new trail to an already epic area of the Chattahoochee National Forest. 55nine Performance will be making a cash donation to IMBA-SORBA's Land Access Fund to

Mountain biking legend and member of the LUNA Chix Pro mountain bike team member Shonny Vanlandingham has joined the fight against breast cancer by helping raise money for a new breast care center in Durango. Vanlandingham and Mercy Regional Medical Center jointly designed a limited-edition cycling jersey that is for sale to the public. All proceeds from sales of the jerseys will be donated to Mercy Health Foundation’s $3.4 million “Yes Ma’am” capital campaign, which is funding equipment and construction of a comprehensive breast care center at Mercy Regional Medical Center.

Under course-drying Italian sunshine, Slovenia’s pint-sized wunderkind Tanja Zakelj swiped the U23 women’s cross-country crown from China, which had dominated the espoir field since 2006. The win earned Zakelj her third worlds medal in four years — she finished third as a junior in 2005 and won the junior title in 2006.

American Tejay Van Garderen finished second overall at the Circuito Montañes, an eight-stage UCI 2.2-ranked race in Spain that concluded Tuesday. Van Garderen, 19, was competing for his Rabobank Continental squad, which also earned the overall team title. It was Van Garderen's second podium finish at a UCI stage race this season. He was also second overall and won a stage at last month's Fleche du Sud in Luxembourg, where he was also best young rider and took the points competition.

“Hey, man, let me call you back, I’m working at the shop.” This may not be the response you’d expect from someone who will be representing the United States at the world championships. But much of Tim Allen’s racing trajectory has skirted the norm.

Gerolsteiner's Markus Fothen won the 189.7km fifth stage of the Tour de Suisse on Wednesday, following the crash of his breakaway companion, Frank Schleck (CSC), who appeared ready to take over the race leader’s yellow jersey before the mishap. Astana’s Serguei Ivanov crossed second at 50 seconds with Fothen’s Swiss teammate, Markus Zberg, taking third at 57 seconds.

Sodium replacement during training can prevent hyponatremia

In Feltre, Italy, this week, just 15km away from the memorial to Tullio Campagnolo at the summit of the Croce d’Aune pass, Campagnolo reintroduced its Super Record racing group. Super Record was Campagnolo’s mystical racing group, but it has been decommissioned for more than 20 years. For 2009, it, along with new Record and Chorus groups, will help celebrate the brand’s 75th anniversary. In addition to the groups, Campagnolo will offer new versions of its four top wheelsets: Hyperon Ultra Two, Bora Ultra Two, Shamal 2-Way Fit and Eurus 2-Way Fit.[nid:77896]

For the third time in 10 days, a major international cycling team has announced a new title sponsor heading into next month’s Tour de France. GPS maker Garmin International has signed on as the title sponsor of American professional continental team Slipstream-Chipotle through 2010, Garmin and the team announced Wednesday.

There are cyclists that can plan out their entire season in advance. They have names like Alberto, Tom, Levi, Cadel, Gilberto, and Sylvain. There are a few more that fall on that list, but not many. Everybody else?

Steeped in history and with its hilly, winding stone-lined roads and historic town centers, can New England become the epicenter of American cycling? Five New England race promoters hope so. Race promoters from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New Hampshire have formed an association to co-promote five races over one week, June 28th – July 6th. George Gantz, president of Fitchburg Cycling Club, which puts on the venerable Fitchburg Longsjo Classic, started talking about the idea a couple of years ago.